In November of 1863, President Abraham Lincoln shared his belief that our nation’s democracy would not perish as long as we have a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” It has always been my belief that our founding fathers never intended for public service to

Over the last year, the challenges facing our state and nation have only grown. While some may accept that fact with great concern, the reality is that America has time and again taken great challenges and turned them into opportunities for great achievement. This defines America, the land of opportunity

As a civilized society, we take the responsibility of caring for those who truly cannot care for themselves very seriously. In some cases, these individuals are senior citizens who have worked for decades to provide for their families and help build the communities in which they live. As they have

From the American Revolution to the war in the Middle East, the men and women of America’s military have a proud heritage of defending freedom and liberty. While this began with colonial farmers leaving their families to take up arms in their fight for liberty, their legacy carries on as

As American citizens, we have both the privilege and the responsibility of being active participants in our democratic process. Our founding fathers escaped an oppressive government and made great sacrifices in order to establish the greatest system of self-governance. Millions more immigrated here as the United States became the shining

In today’s competitive environment, our state and our nation compete on a global playing field for the jobs of tomorrow. One of the key deciders of where a company locates is the quality of the workforce available. Therefore, the future of our state and nation rest directly on our ability

Under Missouri’s Constitution, the legislature crafts the state’s annual budget and the executive branch implements that budget. In my opinion, it is the most important duty we undertake each year. The House and Senate budget committees spend hundreds of hours going through each and every line-item so that we have

Nearly a decade ago, Missouri lawmakers passed one of the most comprehensive tort reform packages in the nation. With the passage of this legislation, which was signed in to law by Gov Matt Blunt, the legislature had taken an important step towards improving the state’s business climate. One component of